|
Dear Neighbors,
Only six weeks to go until the official end to the legislation session on June 25 - and there’s still a lot of work to do. Everyone in the Capitol is eagerly awaiting the final revenue forecast scheduled to be released May 17. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means will use this May forecast to complete the state budget for the 2023-2025 biennium. By the end of June, a balanced budget must be passed by both chambers and will include funding for everything from schools to water infrastructure.
In the meantime, I would like to share some important policy accomplishments and address some hot button issues occurring in Salem.
As Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor and Business, I oversee legislation addressing workplace safety. Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is tasked with helping keep workers safe on the job. Unfortunately, we have far too many accidents with far too few repercussions for the employer. In 2021, our average penalty per fatality was only $1,077 compared to the national average of $11,626.
 |
|
I was pleased to introduce and carry SB 592 to the Senate floor. SB 592 increases Oregon OSHA penalties to align them with federal US Department of Labor standards. The bill also includes more comprehensive inspections of workplace conditions when a fatality does occur and requires regular reporting to the Legislature. These changes will ensure that Oregon workers can feel safe showing up to work and employers are more incentivized to maintain safe workplaces.
|
In the last four years, there have been 1200 traffic incidents resulting in injuries, property damage, or fatalities on inner SE Powell Boulevard. Just this past January, we saw the tragic death of a cyclist in front of Cleveland High School. In response, several legislators and I formed the SE Powell Safety Workgroup. We convened the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), community-based organizations, school administrators, parents, and teachers to develop a package of safety and mobility improvements to inner SE Powell Boulevard.
ODOT and PBOT have recently created two school speed zones, increased signage, implemented leading pedestrian head starts, and installed speed feedback signs. While these changes are a great start, the goal is to bring the road up to a federally set performance standard called a “state of good repair.”
I have submitted a budget request to the Joint Ways and Means Committee to bring inner SE Powell Boulevard up to a state of good repair. I am hopeful that we will find the resources in the state budget to fund these critical improvements in our district.
Styrofoam contains chemical substances that are harmful to human health, wildlife, and the environment. It is used in food containers and various forms of packaging. As the foam breaks down, it forms tiny particles, called microplastics, that contaminate our land, water, and air. SB 543, the Ban Polystyrene Foam Bill, is a key component of the legislature’s Reducing Plastic package. SB 543 prohibits a food vendor from using polystyrene foam containers when selling, offering for sale, serving, or dispensing prepared food to a consumer. The bill also prohibits styrofoam packaging peanuts. The bill has passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor. The changes are scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2025. Thank you to all the advocates who worked so hard to get this bill across the finish line!
Last year, Oregon voters overwhelmingly and explicitly told their elected leaders to “do their jobs”. By passing Ballot Measure 113 with almost 70% approval, Oregon codified penalties for legislators who walkout on their jobs in Salem. The most severe penalty prohibits a legislator from running for reelection if the legislator misses ten or more days of work without an excused absence.
Nevertheless, Republicans are choosing to walk away from the jobs Oregonians elected them to do. Republican leadership admitted that they walked out in opposition to two bills, HB 2002 and HB 2005. Democratic leaders have responded by calling on Republicans “to return to work” and engage in a debate about their positions on these issues.
HB 2002, the Reproductive Health and Access to Care Bill, protects Oregonians’ right to make their own decisions about their own bodies, without interference from the government. It restores the abortion rights Oregonians had under Roe v. Wade, expands insurance coverage for gender-affirming care, and protects Oregon medical providers' ability to give the best, most appropriate care to their patients.
HB 2005, the Gun Violence Prevention Package, will improve community safety, help law enforcement do their jobs, and keep guns out of the wrong hands. The package cracks down on untraceable "ghost guns," raises the minimum age for purchasing most guns – like semiautomatic weapons – to 21 and gives the power to decide where people can carry guns back to local communities. The bill balances community safety and individual liberty – an Oregon solution to a growing challenge.
A visit from early childhood advocates from my district
Finally, I want to thank everyone for continuing to contact my office about legislation, community concerns, and the issues most important to you. You can contact me by phone at 503-986-1721 or by email Sen.KathleenTaylor@oregonlegislature.gov.
 Senator Kathleen Taylor
email: Sen.KathleenTaylor@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1721
address: 900 Court St NE, S-423, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/taylor
| 
